Congress leader Jitin Prasada may contest Lok Sabha poll against Rajnath Singh from Lucknow

New Delhi: Congress leader Jitin Prasada, who brushed aside speculations of he joining BJP, is expected to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Lucknow against Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"He may contest the polls against Rajnath Singh from Lucknow," IANS quoted a party source close to Prasada saying.

"The party is likely to shift him to Lucknow to give Rajnath Singh a tough fight," the source added.

The source also dismissed claims that Prasada may join the BJP ahead of the election.

On being asked from where he would contest the poll, Prasada told ANI, "These are all speculation, the party will come out with a list of candidates after the CEC. I don't know anything about differences."

The Congress leader has, meanwhile, met party's General Secretary in-charge of UP East Priyanka Gandhi to discuss the matter.

Prasada's name figured in Congress' list of 11 candidates released for Uttar Pradesh on March 7.

Jitin Prasada lost the 2014 poll from Dhaurahra constituency. He, however, won the 2004 election from Shahjahanpur and the 2009 poll from Dhaurahra.

Prasada was a Minister of State in the UPA-I and UPA-II governments led by then prime minister Manmohan Singh. He also contested the 2017 Assembly elections but lost to Roshan Lal Verma of the BJP.

(With inputs from IANS and ANI)